This tribute to Charles Dickens appeared in The Graphic in the issue of 9 June 1870. According to Thomson,

The sudden death of the novelist, on June 9th, 1870, changed everything [about Fildes' plans for illustrating the second half of The Mystery of Edwin Drood]. All the same, "at the request of the family, who wished me to fulfil the desire of the great writer, they asked me after the funeral to come and stay with them, and it was then, while in the house of mourning, I conceived the idea of 'The Empty Chair,' and at once got my colours from London, and, with their permission, made the water-colour drawing a very faithful record of his library; and stayed with them until they left the house prior to the sale." [p. 28]